ALLIANCE The brother of a convicted killer was arrested Friday after authorities from two counties found the body of a missing Alliance man in his Portage County apartment.

John R. Fox, 34, is believed to have killed Justin Earley, 22, of North Freedom Avenue, Alliance Police Lt. John Jenkins said in a news release.

Fox is the brother of Joseph W. Fox, who is serving life in prison for killing their mother in 2012, Portage County Sheriff David Doak confirmed.

Earley was last seen Dec. 30 leaving a home in Canton and had been heading to Kent, Jenkins said. Earley was reported missing the next day.

Jenkins said that the investigation into his disappearance led Alliance detectives Don Wensel and Mark Welsh to Portage County, and they began working with deputies there.

"The investigation which included obtaining subpoena information for phone and email records, as well as subpoena information for a Craigslist ad, led investigators to develop a suspect in Earley's disappearance," Jenkins said in the release, noting that Fox became the suspect. Jenkins could not be reached for comment Saturday.

Authorities went Friday morning to talk to Fox where he works on Martinel Drive in Kent, Doak said Saturday.

"As a result of talking to him, our detectives along with the Alliance detectives obtained a search warrant for the car of the missing individual and for Fox's apartment," Doak said. "The car was found in an apartment complex in close proximity to where Fox lives."

Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation investigators joined deputies and police in the search.

The body was found inside the apartment, but the sheriff would not provide the location or the suspected cause of death. He said he was awaiting results of a Summit County Medical Examiner's autopsy, which had been scheduled to take place Saturday.

Doak said that after they found the body, they discovered that Fox had left work after authorities had left him. Doak distributed a news release to area media notifying the public that Fox was wanted and considered dangerous. He asked that anyone who sees Fox to call the sheriff's department.

"We wanted to get him in custody," Doak said.

But deputies picked up Fox a short time later as he walked along Hayes Road in Ravenna Township. Fox was arrested without incident, the sheriff said.

Authorities believe Fox acted alone and that the victim and they had not known one another prior to the killing, the sheriff confirmed.

He also praised Alliance investigators.

"Their investigators were doing a follow-up on a missing persons report when they contacted us," Doak said. "That led us to Fox. They did a really good job of following up. This is one of those cases that could've grown cold pretty quick."

Page 2 of 2 - Fox remained in the Portage County Jail Saturday, charged with murder.

Doak said further charges may be pending.

His brother remains in prison, having pleaded guilty on Aug. 13, 2012 to killing their mother.

A Record-Courier newspaper article dated Nov. 18, 2012 on its website at www.recordpub.com, Joseph Fox admitted to killing his mom during a burglary and robbery attempt.